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The Tooth, The Whole Tooth, and Nothing But The Tooth About Root Canal Pain

Published on January 18th, 2018

Hearing the term “root canal” is usually enough to send a patient into a downward spiral of fear. The general connotation associated with root canal procedures is that they are unbearably painful, extremely invasive, and generally horrifying. What’s the truth about what you should expect if you need a root canal? We promise—it’s not as scary as it’s made out to be.

What Exactly is the Procedure?

Root canal procedures, or endodontic procedures, are minimally invasive procedures whereby a dental specialist removes infected tissue from a patient’s tooth. Inside the tooth, there are different types of tissue. At the very center of the tooth, there is what is known as the “pulp” of the tooth. When this gets infected, it can jeopardize the entire tooth. To remove this infected tissue, an endodontist will make a small incision in the tooth and extract the infected tissue and replace it with a sealant.

What Level Of Pain Should I Expect?

Root canal procedures are actually intended to relieve pain—not cause it! The source of the pain associated with root canals is actually the infected tissue inside the tooth which needs to be corrected with a root canal procedure. It’s really the pain you experience before the procedure that is the issue.

Pain during the actual procedure is quite minimal. Nowadays, anesthesia and advanced surgical techniques minimize the discomfort experienced in these procedures. In fact, many patients report feeling little-to-no pain at all during the procedure itself. If there is any discomfort at all, it may be that the affected area is a bit sore for a few days following the root canal procedure.